In The House interview that aired Saturday, Kent said the government has been concerned charitable agencies have been used "to launder offshore foreign funds for inappropriate use against Canadian interest."

Kent stood by that characterization on Power & Politics Tuesday.

"Essentially what our government is doing through the finance committee is investigating allegations that offshore funds have improperly been funnelled through — laundered if you will, that's a fairly accurate word — through Canadian organizations that have charitable status to be used in ways that would be improper given that charitable status," Kent told Solomon Tuesday.

Pressed whether the use of the word "laundering" suggests criminal activity, Kent said: "There are allegations — and we have very strong suspicions — that some funds have come into the country improperly to obstruct, not to assist, in the environmental assessment process," Kent said.

The environmental review process is intended to determine whether a project poses adverse environment effects and whether those effects can be mitigated.

"I suggest following the committee hearings — in due course some names have already been raised … and I think others will as the committee does its work," he said.

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver sparked an angry response from environmental groups in January when he said "environmental and other radical groups" were using foreign funds to try to block major projects and undermine Canada's economy.